Cayedn Herb
Growing in the crevices of the cliff faces on the east side of northern Churiss, is the rarest known herb in the region. It is called Cayedn and grows about two hundred meters above sea level. Cayedn is an old word meaning
'hold on to' - for this is exactly what this plant does - it is able to survive in virtually no soil, clinging practically to the rock itself.
These cliffs hold the entire population of this delicate herb, much sought after by chefs for its smokey sweetness, that despite its delicacy, can permeate through even the strongest of other flavors. It has just a hint of the sea it grows above adding a slightly salty note.
Its star-shaped flowers display deep blue in the summer months. The time to harvest is after the flowers have turned to seed in late summer, for it is the seed that contains the best flavor. Once picked and dried, they are ground to a powder.
Cayedn is married up to a huge variety of other foods, appearing in both savory and sweet dishes. The latest favorite is to infuse it into bread - when this is done you will often see a queue of people lined up outside the bakery just to take in its scent - for most of them will not have the money needed to actually purchase a product made with this herb.
Due to its flavor, super-rarity, and high seasonality, the price can be as high as the cliffs against which it grows. The cliffs are not private land, so it is the Council of Churiss that runs the operation and benefits from the revenue raised. However, there are occasional attempts by thieves to steal the plant either before or after it has been officially harvested.
History & Strategy
It is believed the plant is a relic from times long past when this part of the world had a warmer climate - somehow it has managed to survive despite the now colder temperatures. There are around fifteen thousand individuals on two square kilometers of cliff face.
The plants are male or female and so they need a way of carrying their pollen to each other.
Its strategy for survival is based on two different species of beetle; the Footed Emerald and the Ocean Long-Horn. These two beetles are also only native to the Cayedn Cliffs and they pollinate the flowers. They both can fly and during the right season they can be seen buzzing around the Cayedn.
The danger in this strategy is, of course, if the beetles become extinct or for some reason leave the area. This is why the Council of Churiss has placed a strict protection order on the beetles.
On the positive side of risk, there are no grazing animals that can make the climb down, or up, to reach these plants and so they are left alone - their only real danger in that sense is from people who are willing to take the risk of violating the law and face the dangers of trying to extract them from the cliffs.
Harvest
Harvesting the plants occurs in late summer when the seed pods are ready. The method is very basic - abseiling. With equipment set up, the crew descends and carefully pick the whole plant. They take a maximum of one-third of the total population. This proportion has been arrived at after years of careful monitoring regarding the impact on total population, by the Environmental Department at
The Library of Learning & Culture in Churiss City.
The team of
Pickers receive training in abseiling but more importantly in which plants to pick (generally the older plants) and how to 'pinch' the plant from its base leaving behind the few delicate roots that cling to the rock. This method takes a few months to master and maximizes the chance of that individual plant regrowing.
All attempts to transplant, or seed, and farm elsewhere have failed. Environmentalists have declared a theory that Cayedn somehow takes sustenance from the air swirling around the cliffs, be this in the air itself or minute mineral particles it picks up and blows to the plants. Either way, for now, the famous herb is seemingly unwilling to be removed from its life-long location.
Export
The Council minimizes the level of export, stating its preference for local populations to benefit from this plant. In reality, the price limits this to the rich in Churiss society and the very 'high-end' eateries.
Excellent article. I can see why it is so expensive. Now I wish I could see them in bloom on that cliff side. That must be such a stunning view. I have one question. Do the people who harvest the plants get some sort of special training? I assume they do since they seem to know how to get to the flowers and how many they can pick. Either way, I enjoyed reading about these flowers.
Thank you! The harvesters would need some, albeit, pretty minimal training as they pick the whole plant rather than certain parts of it - I'll add a few lines in on this as that would be useful information. Thank you, glad you enjoyed it :)
Hello! I've added a paragraph under the Harvesting heading. Your comment made me think of an additional complication to the picking so I added in a bit about needing to 'pinch' the plant from its base to max its chances of regrowth. Thank you for the comment - so useful to get feedback like yours as it leads to adding a bit more richness to the article! :)
That is actually a very good addition to the article. Glad I managed to give some inspiration. :)